#speckled tries game design

[stickyspeckledlight]

lol have you ever thought about what your readers would be like if they were playable?

hmmm, i only really have one reader, which is onset reader who is, well. no hate but kinda a wimp u know. listen.

they were able to delay ONE mental breakdown (doing the gamble w/ aven) but at the same time, they could sort of consolidate with the fact that they thought they were gonna die, so then there would be an end to look forward to. but also note this: that scene is ENTIRELY from their perspective. I'll just say maybe a tear or two, a shake, or freeze went entirely unnoticed by them, y'know? (aventurine didn't interject too much with that because. well. he can't say he minds seeing them crumple, F).

And, realistically, they would much rather blow themselves up than kill someone. even post-onset after the cotton fields have been uprooted, they still aren't gonna just wanna kill someone. for the most part. if it involves aventurine, they will change their tune pretty quickly, but like, that's not unique to killing ppl lmao. they are indeed koo koo krazy but its a bit more layered than "I will become murderhobo for you anyways here's the head of that guy you talked to for 0.5 seconds." I'll stop there since I do intend on exploring their psyche in a fic eventually.

Anyway, as I've said: realistically, they would much prefer running away or blowing themselves up than directly confront an opponent. ofc, if really pushed, they will begin to fight back and lash out, but like....even before aventurine and stuff happened, I'll just say their mindset crippled them in a LOT of ways. as evident, their mind will always circle back to what's the most self destructive and ideally it'll be something they can do to "take them down with me." so yeah. blowing themselves up is perfect. kill themselves and kill their enemies, destroying themselves and leaving the rest of the world with the fallout.

BUT. that's not very fun. you came for gameplay. and I'm a meta slave. so let's get right to it. note that this is purely imaginary, and wouldn't really work in this fic's universe---BUT I DON'T CARE. WE ARE GONNA BE GIVING ONSET READER THE KIT THEY DESERVE. hell maybe I should do this with all my readers LMFAO.

(Long post because I’m figuring this out as I go, but if you wanna skip the jargon just skip to the bottom of the post lmao)

Firstly, let's start with some basic criteria/restraints:

Their ideal teammate should be Aventurine (for obvious reasons)

They should also be Aventurine's ideal teammate, or at the very least they boost his own performance in some way

In other words, Onset!Reader’s kit should enhance Aventurine’s kit, but also in some ways have their own kit be greatly (almost dependent wink wink) on having him in the team. Not impossible to play without him but…definitely struggling to muster any semblance of life without his presence….feeling empty and dead…heheh

Ok. Back to work.

With these restraints in mind, what should Onset!Reader’s role be? They can’t be a sustain, since Aventurine already does that; and having them be a full on support or harmony would mean I’d have to tune them to fit aventurine exactly, and as funny as that is, not very poggers game design IMO.

Well, I think that these two paths, which fit them well, are a good place to start:

1. Destruction

2. Nihility (explanation: they are generally slothful and like. They were definitely having really negative nihilistic thoughts especially during that “transition” period. Also, if it wasn’t obvious, there are the Self-Annihilators.)

However, I think after mulling it over, Destruction seems like the way to go, with some Nihility elements in their kit (sort of like how huohuo is an abundance, but also a pseudo-harmony with her ult regen energy and atk buff).

So, then, with that, they are a DPS! Or at least a subdps, because we also wanna boost Aventurine’s own kit, right? Probably with some debuffing in their kit, so a subdps pseudo support like topaz. What element they are doesn’t really matter, so let’s say they’re ice. We could use more ice damage dealers bc I don’t wanna use yanqing anymore.

This game hates Arlan, so it will be fitting to give Onset!Reader HP drain in their kit. Goes with the self destructive tendencies nicely, as well as making Aven’s shields really crucial to keeping them alive. Arlan L

But here’s what they specifically do to drain their HP: they hit their skill and do some damage, but in the process, they drain their HP and then deal a little damage to some of team. Not specifically an HP drain like Jingliu, just directly hits their team; that way it counts as adding stacks to Aven’s FUA tally. Maybe they don’t deal dmg to the entire time (at least at E0 kekw), and so like maybe they can only deal dmg to one other character and themselves…..I imagine that the skill would then work as self targeting then, and the best way to get more stacks of Aven’s shield is to put them right next to each other…for gameplay, ofc. Aven eating up those 3 free stacks he gets every turn from them.

But now, we gotta figure something else out: their talent, or FUA. How is it triggered?

I’m thinking of something like this: they skill, which launches their FUA, however, this FUA is “unenhanced.” Like how topaz’s skill is a numby FUA, their skill launches their own FUA (aoe). However, whenever someone else launches their FUA (like Aventurine), or if they’ve taken enough hits or hp loss, an “enhanced” FUA is unleashed, which does a just a little more dmg, but more importantly, applies a debuff to enemies, reducing their ice res as well as res to the element of other FUAs which hit them, albeit to a lesser extent (ex. Reader uses FUA and applies debuff, and then Aven launches his FUA which then reduce’s the enemy’s imaginary res; or Jing Yuan launches his FUA and enemy’s lightning res is reduced, and so on). Tho maybe we don’t really need to FUA requirement as a hardline here, since then they’d just be a discount Topaz? So maybe something like: reduce enemy RES occurs if they are hit with a FUA or an ULT.

Look this is kinda bonkers but to be fair. HSR is already pseudo power creeping so I’m only following the trends.

Alright, so we’ve got their skill & talent. We need their ult now. Honestly nothing too fancy, just a aoe or blast ult which also restores a little HP, and maybe some self buffing???

I think they’ll need to give themselves some spd or action forwards so they can launch their FUAs a bit more consistently. Let’s link this to their HP to increase the dependency on Aventurine keeping them alive

This also makes the synergy better even if you wanna use Gepard because remember: shields are based on turns taken. So even if you wanna use Gepard you’re gonna have to be careful with your timing, or use an abundance in exchange for less actions and then so less FUAs, decreasing their dmg. Bc their skill can grant Aven blind bet stacks, he can still sustain them while not sacrificing their own dmg.

Ok, so let’s put their kit into words (don’t make fun of my cringe ass names ok I’m really bad at names). I might also add some extra stuff here just because lmao.

DESTRUCTION, ICE

Basic: Razed Field: Scales with HP (literally the only way they don’t die w/o a shielder)

Skill: Salting Fields, Held So Dear: Targets self and ally, dealing minor ice dmg and drains Reader’s HP. The ice dmg dealt by the skill will count as ally’s being attacked. Grants 1 stack of Cracking Sunset.

Ult: Dawn’s Afterglow, Crimson Pooling Beneath: Increases Crit DMG by 20%. Deals AoE blast ice dmg and restore Reader’s HP by a certain percent. Grants 3 stacks of Cracking Sunset.

Talent: Bleeding Heart, Fermenting in the Sun: When Reader reaches 3 stacks of Cracking Sunset, launch a FUA , dealing AoE ice dmg. Enemies hit with FUA will be inflicted with Weeping Ink for 2 turns. Enemies w/ Weeping Ink will have their Ice RES reduced by 20%.

Traces:

A2: I Weep Tears of Joy: FUAs launched by allies grant 2 stacks of Cracking Sunset. Allies who trigger their ultimate will grant 1 stacks of Cracking Sunset.

A4: I Crave A Poison So Delectable: When HP is not full, increases SPD. Increases further if below 50%

A6: I Dance in a Meadow: When allies launch a FUA or Ult against an enemy inflicted with Weeping Ink, decreases the Elemental RES of the attacking ally’s Element by 60% of the Ice RES decrease granted by Weeping Ink.

Eidolons:

E1: Salted Cotton Stew: The Ultimate will grant the team a 25% def boost and 12% crit rate boost.

E2: Crumbled Chocolate Tower: Whenever HP decreases, action is advanced forward by 15%

E4: Champagne, Bubbling Holes Down the Throat: The skill targets the entire team. Each ally hit by the skill is grants a stack of Satiated. Each stack of Satiated grants a 8% FUA dmg boost, stacking up to 4 times.

E6: Casu Martzu: Weeping Ink additionally decreases all Elemental RES of enemies by an amount equal to the Ice RES decrease of Weeping Ink. The additional Ice RES decrease of Weeping Ink, as well as the Elemental RES decreases of trace “I Dance In A Meadow”, will stack on top of this Elemental RES decrease.

What are their animations? Uh, idk. They throw a bunch of shit. Maybe the cover the enemies in blankets so their movement is inhibited. And then throw more random shit they find laying around. Uh yeah. There. All of the destruction is caused by haphazardly thrown plushies and scrunchies and baseballs.

And since their kit is bonkers anyway let’s give them a light cone too because why the hell not. Yea yea they would be more like a 4 star but 5 stars are more fun to design Im afraid.

5* Destruction, The Sweetest Thing

Shattered Porcelain: Increases wearer’s crit rate by 16% (28%). Grants a stack of “Moonlight’s Shadow” when wearer deals dmg to allies and self, boosting dmg dealt by 15% (35%), up to 2 stacks for each ally hit. When wearer uses ult, grants 15% (27%) DEF ignore.

“Are you having doubts?” A gloved hand stacks a chip.

“No...” They pursue their lips, regarding the challenger hobbling out, a young man, with an empathetic gaze. But pity and sympathy are nowhere to be found, even if cotton did not flower. “If anything, you should wrap up. It’s late. Here. Let me help you with your coat.”

“That’s it? You know you can tell me anything.” They imagine his fingers coiling around their heart like a boa constrictor.

They coax him off the couch, and help him with his jacket just as they said. “You’ve sent the house running. Staying here’s pointless now.” They pause. “And best to turn in for the day, don’t you think?”

The man smiles. “Aren’t you just the sweetest thing?” A small piece of chocolate slides into their mouth: sugary sweet, sorrowfully bitter, and resigningly sour.

lol but they’d be really good with Jade lmao. They could be good with Blade too. But if you wanna see bonkers number and an insane amount of attacks them + Aventurine is the way to go. Honestly something like Reader, Aven, Jade, Robin/RM/Topaz could be pretty dang good.

LMFAO in the ipc dream team they can just replace ratio if there’s a ton of ice weakness. Like. No. That’s not your boyfriend. I AM and just kicks ratio outta there. But he will be much better in single target than them lmao.

Wait pela would be pretty good too lol. The discount harmony you use with them rofl

This was pretty fun! Had a blast working on this throughout the. Uhhh. Idk. Week? I forgot the pandemic has made my sense of time foggy.

[happyandticklish]

The Gift of Your Laughter

Notes: I literally pulled this fic out of my ass last night for the holiday so be kind to it ;-; This fic doesn’t technically have a ton of tickling actually in it but you know what I don’t care because anticipation is more than half the fun anyway~ Happy Valentine’s Day, and enjoy a heavily flustered Levi with me~ 

Summary: Erwin knows Levi a little too well. Normally, Levi appreciates this, until it comes to a certain shared interest of theirs. 

It started with a feather, which is what clued Levi in that he wasn’t overthinking it. A brown feather with white spots speckled throughout it and black streaks curving up the inside. It glistened in the sunlight coming in from the window, perfectly innocent on his desk. Erwin—the only person it could be, the only person who had access to his office—had made sure it was placed directly in the center, not wanting Levi to be able to miss it.

He hesitated, as though something was going to pop out of it and attack him, but after a moment Levi picked it up. He pinched the stem gingerly between his fingers holding it up to the light.

Soft. Beautiful. Rare. He brushed a fingertip over the edge of it, allowing the downy tufts to kiss his skin. He wasn’t sure where Erwin would have gotten something like this. He wasn’t even aware there were birds with such elaborate designs still around. 

He looked around for a note, some sign of what it could possibly mean, but there was nothing. Just a feather and a world of questions. Levi grimaced in annoyance. He wasn’t fond of antics or surprises, and Erwin knew that. Whatever game he was playing, he wasn’t in the mood for it and he would be sure to let Erwin know the next time he saw him.

He kept the feather, though. He felt too bad not to. It was too delicate of a thing to simply throw away.

The second one came at lunch, nearly crushed by Levi before he noticed it. It was sitting on a chair, his chair, the chair he always sat at because it was isolated and far away from the noise of the cadets. This one was blue and Levi sucked in his breath helplessly. Blue. It was such an unimaginable color nowadays as the ink was far too expensive to ship in. To see it so blatantly in nature…

He picked it up, placing it carefully beside his lunch tray before continuing to eat with a growing sense of unease. He felt ridiculous for putting so much thought into it, but the gesture was so un-Erwin-like that he couldn’t help but dwell on it. There was yellow in the blue too. Probably, these were collected items from the olden years, before the Titans. It didn’t surprise him that Erwin had them, but this strange scavenger hunt method of gifting them was weird and suspicious all at once.

Finally, at feather number three, he put the pieces together.

The room was mostly Hange’s domain, part of their perverted scientific ‘experiments’ that they liked to execute. It had become less of an office at this point and more of some mad scientist lab mixed with a torture chamber. Levi was supposed to pick up some paperwork from them, but he paused when he entered the room and noticed them..

It wasn’t just feather number three. It was feather number four, five, and six as well, all four of them tied with a string that was dangling out of one of the holes in a pair of rustic stocks. The rush of air from the doorway ruffled them gently, causing them to twist and buffet in the air. Realization hit Levi at the same time that a flush crept its way up his neck and out to his ears.

Oh.

Oh. 

Thankfully Hange was absent, otherwise, Levi would have killed the both of them right then and there to cover up his oncoming embarrassment. He marched forward and snatched the feathers out of the stocks, crushing them in his hands and trying to ignore the way his heart was racing.

He tried to act casual as he made his way back to his office, one hand shoved in his pocket where he fiddled with the feathers. They felt soft. Really, really fucking soft. Anger and humiliation and something else that Levi didn’t want to put a name to rose inside of him at the ploy.

More than anything, however, he tried to stifle the creeping anticipation growing inside him. If he was right, and he sincerely doubted that he wasn’t, Erwin had planned this. Which meant Erwin was waiting, somewhere, to ambush him with this. Which meant that Levi had to choose whether or not to confront him or hide like a coward.

It really wasn’t a fair decision.

By the time he reached the door he felt jittery like he’d just pulled an all-nighter, his body tense with nervous energy.

It’s just tickling, he told himself, hand wavering over the knob. It’s just fucking tickling so get a hold of yourself. At least in your office, you’ll be safe so stop freaking out.

He pushed open the door determinedly and froze when he saw Erwin casually sitting in his chair.

“Levi.” He looked unfairly calm for how rattled Levi felt. “I see you got my message.”

He hadn’t realized he was still messing with the feathers. He stopped, pulling his hand out and glaring at him. “You’re in my spot.”

An arched brow. “You want to trade places?”

The implications of it sent a thrill running down Levi’s spine. Sitting down, strong arms wrapping around him, fingers crawling ever so softly up his sides, a voice whispering in his ear—

Instinctually, he glanced towards the open door and Erwin followed his gaze. “I’ll just catch you, you know. It would serve no purpose but to draw this out and make things worse for yourself.”

He was being so unbearably smug about this and Levi wanted to punch him for it. Instead, he settled on trying to shove down the smile begging to make itself known on his features, and focused his efforts towards survival. Erwin was right. There was no way he could outrun him even if he wanted to and right now Levi didn’t trust his body not to betray him into Erwin’s awaiting hands.

Still.

There was no way he was just gonna take this gift disguised as punishment.

Erwin’s chuckle rang out behind him as Levi bolted, an affectionate, amused sound that sent goosebumps prickling up the back of his neck. He slid around a corner, years of training kicking into gear as he expertly navigated his way through the building. He could hear Erwin pounding behind him and panic sent him flying down the stairs, skipping half a dozen steps in the process.

He knew he looked stupid as he raced past the barracks, a grown man running for his life and probably alerting half the camp while doing so, but he didn’t care. He could feel Erwin right behind him and his thoughts were betraying him as he imagined what it would be like to be caught, to be grabbed, to have his arms forced over his head—

Nope, no, not going there, not right now, now he needed to focus. Left or right. Dining hall or living quarters. Both public, both dead ends. He cursed under his breath, hesitating a bit too long as he weighed out the decision. Voices of confusion murmured behind him as soldiers recovered from the shock of their captain running for his life, and, more importantly, the last of Erwin’s boot falls landed on the stairs indicating he was catching up.

Levi flung open the bedroom door haphazardly, just barely managing to get inside before the door was shoved open once more. Levi flinched, stumbling back against the wall as Erwin calmly closed and locked the door behind him. Levi silently thanked any deity that was still be remaining that this particular room was absent at the moment.

“You shouldn’t have run.” Erwin looked more amused than annoyed, which wasn’t helping matters. “It’s impolite to turn down a gift.”

“A gift?” Levi scoffed, hating how out of breath he sounded. His gaze darted anxiously about the room, looking for any path of escape. “Is that what you’re calling this?”

Erwin arched a brow. He was taking slow, steady steps towards him that set Levi on edge. “Are you saying you don’t want it?”

“Fuck you.”

“That’s not an answer.”

Levi thinned his lips together in irritation. He could feel the heat crawling over his features and prayed that Erwin didn’t notice. He didn’t move when Erwin approached him, glaring up into his eyes as he pressed him against the wall.

Stop looking so goddamn helpless already.

“Wrists?”

Levi didn’t move, stubbornness rooting him to the spot.

“Should I make it an order?”

Levi’s gaze snapped up at him before slanting off to the side. “Cheater.”

“As if you didn’t cheat first.”

He felt positively giddy and he hated how much he loved it. Erwin had grabbed his wrists anyway, tugging them firmly up and against the wall. Levi pulled at them to check their hold—breakable, if he wanted. Which only made this worse because now Levi was forced to stand there and just endure it until Erwin had had his fill.

Levi tensed when fingers came to rest at his sides. “Erwin, the cadets.”

“What about them?” A twitch to his sides.

“They’ll hear,” Levi hissed, trying not to squirm already because god would that be embarrassing if one touch of Erwin’s hands was all it took to get to him. “They’ll hear and they’ll talk and the last thing I need is to deal with rumors about us spreading through the whole garrison.”

“Well then…” Erwin’s fingers jumped into action now, skritching and digging into Levi’s sides in a manner that made him want to crawl out of his skin. “I guess you’d better be quiet.”

Levi bit his lip, something that was horrendously close to a giggle nearly slipping past his lips. Fuck. Fuck, fuck, fuck, this was not happening, this was not happening right here, right now, not when there’s a bunch of nosy soldiers standing right outside that room forcing Levi to keep silent despite how ungodly ticklish Erwin’s nails felt against his shirt.

He kind of hated it.

He kind of loved it.

“Oh, and Levi?”

Erwin’s voice was close, his breath hitting the shell of Levi’s ears and making him scrunch his shoulders in defense. Nails slipped under his shirt to get at bare skin as a shiver rippled down Levi’s spine.

“Happy Valentine’s Day.”

[petra-creat0r]

Welcome to the Azmayca Region!

Alright so I know in the past I've alluded to my Fakemon Region, dubbed the Azmayca Region, and even posted old designs for my starters, but feel that now that I've redesigned my mons, I should properly introduce it!

So, with that said, welcome to the Azmayca Region! My Fakemon region based on Mexico, some parts of the South West US (mostly Texas, Arizona, California, and New Mexico), and bits of the rest of Central America. I have loads more about this Fakemon Region than I'll share in this post, but for now, let's start your Pokemon journey by meeting the protagonists and Starters

Starting with the protagonists! Gabriel and Isabella.

You may notice how on the drawing, it says Player/Rival. That's because which ever player character you don't pick, becomes one of your rivals! (The other rival to be revealed at a later time). So assuming you pick Gabriel, then your rival would be Isabella or vice versa!

The story of this Fakemon Region (like if it were a game) is you, the player character, moved to the Azmayca Region with your Mom to live with your extended family a few months ago. Now that you and your mother have properly moved in an had a bit of time to get somewhat used to this new climate and region, you decide you want to explore it to learn more.

Shortly after deciding to set on your journey, you run into your rivals, the first one being the opposite player character (so either Gabriel or Isabella), who's your cousin. They're a little rude and act more like rivals like Gary or Bede, however still being related to you, they will also beat up whoever tries to mess with you. Only they get to make fun of you.

After you meet your rivals, all 3 of you head to meet the professors of the region (who I'll reveal at some other point) and get your starters!

Starting off the regional dex, we've got the grass starter of Azmayca, Cubalje!

Cubalje's name pulls from cub, copal, and alebreje. Elements of which will show later in its evolution line.

Stated in the dex entry, Cubalje are fun and playful. They enjoy bathing in warm sunlight to replenish their energy through photosynthesis and can often be found in lush forests or grassy grottos. They have surprisingly long, orange tongues to slurp bug types or honey out of hollow branches and if a Cubalje likes you, they might give you a nice gift of colorful leaves or berries!

As some might've guessed based on Cubalje's classification and looks, it's based on a sun bear. Orginally it wasn't supposed to have any sun bear inspiration, instead taking after the speckled bear which ties into it's final stage's megafauna inspiration. However while redesigning it, the simplified patterns ended up looking like a sun bear on sorta accident so...? I guess sun bears and speckled bears are, sorta related? They have kinda similar patterns I guess, lol. Rest assured though, the second stage should take more after the speckled bear.

Next up we've got Coaltro, the fire starter!

Coaltro's name comes from coal, colt (a male baby horse), foal (also a baby horse), and potro, Spanish for, you guessed it, a baby horse.

Coaltro are rather shy and skittish, often running away from those it doesn't know by kicking up sand or dirt as a distraction. Once a Coaltro gets used to you though, it is a very loyal Pokemon. Because of this loyalty and the hardiness and speed of its evolved form, these Pokemon are often used on farms, making them common place among other farm based Pokemon on ranches in Azmayca. Other than farm work though, Coaltro are also sometimes used for entertainment such as races or rodeos. Coaltro's front hooves are always coated in a thick layer of mud as this Pokemon enjoys playing in dirt or mud to relax. Its also said to possibly be related to Ponyta and Mudbray

In case it wasn't obvious, Coaltro is based on the Azteca horse, a breed of horse native to Mexico. Also yes, I did follow the fire zodiac theory even if Fuecoco broke the trend. I don't care. I made this region before Paldea and before Fuecoco. I can continue with the silly fan theory made by the community even if the canon broke it. The only thing Fuecoco does to the zodiac theory is give Fakemon creators more leeway if they don't wanna use the zodiac. ... okay little rant over, in reality, I love Fuecoco (its evolved forms are... kinda mid bit still cool inspiration wise) but just felt I should explain why I still went with the horse on the zodiac, even though it's likely debunked.

Finally, we have the water starter, Swavink!

Swavink's name comes from suave, swamp, visón (Spanish for mink) and mink

Swavink are crafty little tricksters of Pokemon. They like to steal and swipe things, primarily jewelry or other shiny objects, which they hoard in their own little nests of shiny things. Even though most find Swavink a nuisance or pest, Swavink honestly just doesn't have a sense of someone's personal property. They just like shiny things. For trainers or people who keep them as pets, they're often able to get their stuff back if they find Swavink's not so hidden nest, and Swavink will barely notice. Until they spot the shiny object again outside their nest. This behavior however gets more annoying when this Pokemon evolves so... watch out. Also Swavink are often found in swamps or urban areas.

Alright, I think its obvious that Swavink is well, a mink. It's right there in the name! However this little trickster also pulls a bit from cats and ferrets, given both creatures' more crafty depiction and knack for mischief. Also the idea of a little mink cat creature is adorable. Yes it'll steal your gold necklace and loose change, but also its smooth and cuddly! It'll smuggle up on your chest and trap you with cuteness! It could almost make you forget the amount of jewelry you've lost because of this thing! ... almost. Just wait till it evolves, that theft thing will likely get more annoying but for those that can look past that, Swavink and its line are pretty good companions. Like cats, they'll love you and give you snuggles... occasionally. If they remember your existence or aren't demanding food. (LOL, I'm joking. I love cats and own two of my own. One of which is a very snuggly cuddly boi who's even in bed with me right know as I write this!)

Aaaaanyways, that's all I have for now! If this post gets any attention, I might draw the professors and other rival or even the redesigned evolved forms of these starters!

I hope you enjoyed and see ya later Creative Creators!

[pinky-in-blankets]

TADC: ✨️SideQuests ✨️

---

The Glitch

Route: Carnival!Au

---

“Okay~! Goodbye Miss’ Ragatha! I'll study hard for our next etiquette class!”

Scribbles cheerfuly stated as she left the pristine Ragdolls level, a cheerful skip in her step as she went. This was a common sight as Scribbles was known amongst the A.I as the sweetest little thing. A little puff of cotton candy. A slightly quirky sweetheart.

And that's exactly what she wants them to believe. You see, Scribbles was far from your regular Plushie. For starters; She wasn't an A.I At all. She was a Player- Yet most didn't really pay much mind to it. After all, She worked pretty hard for them to not mind it.

And it was all thanks to the little flower attached to her head.

This flower held Scribbles special secret. A virus. Scribbles was never meant to be apart of this game In the first place. But thanks to a little Hacking, she had accidentally created a virus with the most peculiar effect.

She was able to manipulate the A.I's view of herself. The first time she did it was purely on accident- But once she realized she could do this, it became an essential part in her survival in this twisted Carnival.

So instead of trying to fight for her life, with a little whiff of her Peonies she ‘Grew’; Even the most vicious of A.I would be fond of her.

But just because they don't really try to kill her, doesn't mean she doesn't have her fair share of troubles. After all, it's alot of work keeping up the pure hearted Soul personality.. especially since she's still trying to escape.

“ugh... if i had to speak in that pinkie Pie esque voice any longer i might start throwing things at people..”

Scribbles murmured under her breathe as she walked down the halls. She was supposed to be meeting up with Caine back at Pomni's Level to discuss possible Commands that could at least give them an advantage in dealing with the A.I or escaping… but she was honestly exhausted after playing ‘High tea’ with ragatha.

“Like seriously girl, how many forks do you need?”

She wasn't paying attention to where she was going, and found she had walked a bit further along that she had planned too. Oh.. this was wayyy past Pomni's Level. She should head back-

Before she could turn around, something moving caught her eye. It was a splash of color that speckled in and out. What was that..? Was there something back there? Perhaps.. a new level?

Curiously, she decided to investigate.

Walking down the corridor she realized something was already off. All the doors had Big X's On them and you could barely make out the character behind it. And even weirder, there was no Lock insignia on any of the doors. Was this just a design error? Or were these levels just.. never made?

She pondered the possibilities when the splash of color once again caught her attention. It was the last door at the end of the hall. Her eyes Widened as she stood before it.

Unlike all the rest of the doors, this one had a lock insignia. But.. it kept.. glitching..? She could feel the static around her plush fur as she got closer and closer to the door. The closer she got, the more stable the glitch became. What she failed to notice was the fact her little Virus Flower was reacting as well.

It was practically all pixels as she stood infront of the massive door. Then, as if it were waiting for her; The door suddenly unlocked. The glitching was stable as it showed the door completely unlocked, despite the data bits floating around the lock. Scribbles blinked slightly at the odd door.

“That was.. weird.. but it's open now. Did I just A secret level!? Or.. even the way out..? I gotta see. And if push comes to shove, I can just trick my way outta it. No worries. I hope.”

She tried to talk herself into it as she reached for the door. All at once the enter doorway glitched and opened wide, beginning the level. Her eyes adjusted slightly as she read the glitching title card of the loading screen..

“The Queen's Lair..?”

----

Carnival!Au belongs to @sm-baby

[pink-strawberry-kissess]

Mornings with you (Leon Kennedy x Ada Wong)

Cross posted from my ao3 

warnings: fluff, domestic fluff, established relationship, smut, fluff and smut, morning sex, game resident evil 6, post resident evil 6, they’re both kinda switches, it gets very smutty

Word count: 3426

Summary: Just morning sex with Leon and Ada with a bit of longing fluff and also Leon just having morning wood.

Notes: resident evil 6 leon and ada are in mind when thinking about character designs/mannerisms etc. I tried to write it as in character as possible but that's hard lmao

I was reading about morning wood on something lmao probably reddit and was liek okay. so this happened. lol

//

Mornings were the purest moments. The proverbial slate cleaned and minds fresh and clear from any adversities. The clear crystal shade of nothingness as opposed to a complete day. A tired, stressful, exhausted and brutally beaten down from the world kind of day. As the sun rose each day, the mornings were unclouded from any adversities. The world untouched and untainted from anything. Their states of being; vulnerable and innocent. With their hearts cleared from any prior hesitancies or indiscretions.

Leon gently blinked his eyes open, noticing the sun filtering in from the cracked open window. A low yawn erupting from his body, his hearing tuning out and in before he could hear Ada’s gentle breathing next to him.

“You don’t have to leave yet, do you?” He would want to blurt out, almost reflexively and immediately as he would wake. A habit he would have a bit of trouble breaking.

Ada’s routine was exact every morning, down to the minute. She would always wake before him, sometimes gently and delicately caressing his face until he’d lazily rise from his slumber. Soft presses of her fingertips drew lines against his skin, tracing little constellations of his freckles and marks. Some scars still haven’t faded; soft and faintly coloured line against his cheek she’d press her lips against. On lucky days the scent of coffee made its way into the bedroom, his nostrils flaring at the aromatic smell that would lead him towards the kitchen. And finding Ada standing against the counter. A creamy colour mug with light speckles of colour, one handmade from one of those farmer’s markets in her hand. The matching pair on the counter with steamy coffee already in it. Ada’s gentle tilt of her head as she greeted him in the morning.

Often times in the beginning, he’d wake and she’d be gone already. A gentle linger of her sweet perfume and warmth still in the bed. His hands would inevitably feel the empty void next to him. Waking him with the question of where she was. The answer, a delicately hand written note left on the nightstand explaining her departure. And on the odd occasion, if he woke with her still tangled around him. Already awake as she laid, simply waiting for him to wake as well. A sigh of relief would escape from his lips, not needing to plead for her to stay.

Somehow she knew he’d be more affectionate that she was. Always wanting to be against her during the night. Touching or grasping onto a part of her as he slept, unconsciously needing a part of her. She would tease him sometimes, how heavy of a sleeper he could be sometimes, completely unaware of his attached he was. No matter how much he’d try to deny it, on occasion a flush formed on his cheeks at his unconscious yearning for affection.

But this morning she laid still tucked between the sheets, seemingly having fallen back asleep after her normal waking. Her face almost fragile and frail, the smallest amount of expression in between her brows as she slept. A large exhale of breath lowered Leon’s chest as he let out a quiet sigh. His arms felt loose and at ease from his peaceful slumber, a slight pop sound released from his shoulder as he circled it. Feeling Ada’s back still next to him, he raised onto his left arm to look over at her. His roughened fingertips were still gentle as he parted Ada’s short wisps of hair away from her cheek, revealing her soft skin. Ada was mostly a light sleeper, easily stirred and required sleep as a form of self preservation more than for anything else. It was rare for her to sleep in, albeit the inevitable reasons of a cold or ailment, to which Leon always profusely babied her for. He was quick to want to check her forehead, the back of his hand pressing against her neck to see if she were feverish, her temperature perhaps a bit more warm than usual. But it was the same, perhaps even a bit more on the chilled side as he leaned in to press a warm kiss against her temple. The soft fragrance of her shampoo filling his nose as he leaned in.

Still not stirred from her sleep, a soft smile grew on his lips as he admired her sleeping form. So rare to see, he couldn’t help but stare. Like a flower that only blooms once, he cherished these soft moments. Memorizing it and tucking it away. She was much more spared from any scars from the world than him, perhaps it was just her ability to always slip away that kept her more unscathed from the world they lived in. She was perfect to him, despite knowing that she was far from perfect from everyone else’s eyes. Her flaws he always seemed to overlook, found them to be endearing somehow. Guess that’s how love works.

Ada softly tensed in her sleep, her form mostly moving as if her body finally realized she was colder than she thought, her body scooting closer to him and his warmth. Shivers. An unexpected groan slipped from Leon’s lips as he felt her almost innocently rubbing up against him. To this day he could still feel his body flushing at the thought of her, his mind going painfully blank as his fingers stilled against her cheek, and then all his thoughts going in between his legs.

Great.

He let out another sigh and laid his head back down on his pillow, the soft feather down cushioning the blow. With his back flat against the bed he could feel the rush of cool morning air as it circulated around him. A slight shiver from Ada resonated from her side of the bed. With swift hands he grabbed the blanket to tuck her back in, shielding her back from the exposed air. The back of her head still showcasing her soft sleek black tresses. Her silhouette slowly rising and lowering with each of her soft breaths.

His soft blues stared at the ceiling of their shared bedroom. Not too long ago it was simply his own bedroom. The inevitability that is Ada slowly morphed into his life, and he could hardly tell when it happened. When it was just her. Another throb just at the thought of her, again. He tried to clear his throat quietly, one of his hands slipping underneath the sheets as he forced himself to relax. The noise that slipped from his throat was fairly quiet, a bit more pathetic sounding than he expected.

Two simple blinks and his stare was no longer at the ceiling and was back at her. Tracing over her form underneath the blanket. His warm hands making their way, slipping below her navel towards her warmth. His eyes imagining the soft sliver of her creamy skin in between her top and panties. He was sure she would wake at his point, his hands slowly roaming over her, moving the way that she always liked. Trailing and caressing over her curves, moving slowly but with intention. A gentle grasp surely would stir her, and yet only another simple exhale slipped from her. His hand still on her breasts as they heaved with her breath. Leon’s eyes narrowed, wondering at this point if she was simply feigning sleep. Pretending that she were in a deep slumber to see what he would do.

More forceful this time, he lowered his lips towards her thin neck, pressing a warm kiss before nipping at her skin. He knew she rarely liked it when he got too rough, only in the heat of the moment would she encourage him to continue. His breath ghosted along her lobe as he laid a multitude of kisses on her temple, cheek and neck. His hands moving in tandem as his hand grabbed and fondled at her breasts underneath the sheer camisole she wore. A creamy dark red that complimented her skin tone and with a v shaped cut that accented her feminine form. He was known only to Ada to be a bit possessive as he slept, grabbing at her in his sleep some nights, whispering little nothings before his body would go limp again. The brief thought that he could being doing this in his sleep already had his mind running again.

The peaks of her breasts pebbled against his touch and his sharp senses caught the flutter of her lashes. Her soft pink lips parting once his hand grabbed at both of her breasts in a single handful, spilling a bit from his grasp as he tried to manage them both. His toned chest pressed against her backside while his other hand slipped further down to the soft lace hemline of her panties. Tracing the lace against his finger towards her hips and lightly tickled her there. Now she must be sleeping if she wouldn’t wake from his tickles. A confident motion struck him as he grabbed at her ass, chuckling to himself a bit as he felt the handful and went back towards the lace of her panties. Back and forth. Back and forth a few more times. His eye twitched just a fraction, second guessing if she was still asleep or not. Wondering if he should continue, trying to think with his head instead of letting his body win.

His thumb pressed on her pubic bone and two fingers sank lower to her warm folds. Stickiness spread between his fingertips as he dragged his fingers up and down. A light smirk grew on his lips as he ghosted another press of his lips against her. Watching as the smallest flutter of her dark lashes caught his eye again, and the smallest upturn at the corner of her lips.

A soft noise rumbled from her throat, not missed by Leon as he worked his lips against the delicate parts of her neck. Feeling her pulsing heart beat all the way down to his fingertips as he worked her open. Swirling his thumb at a snail’s pace at her swollen bud, her warmth spreading throughout his palm. Coating him in her warm slippery slick. The way she felt was intoxicating to him sometimes, all rational thought leaving his body, replaced by only desire.

Ada tried her best to keep her smile at bay, flattening her expression almost too much at the feeling of the head of Leon’s cock pressing against her backside. His hips desperate to plunge inside, rutting against her as softly as he could as to ‘not wake her.’ She wasn’t sure when he had shed his clothing. Or if he had put any on from the night before. She couldn’t remember as her mind focused on the two of his thick fingers thrusting inside, curling upwards as his palm forced pressure against her. Making sure she could feel him scissoring his fingers deep within her. Her hand finally left the spot from the bed. No longer her fingers splayed apart delicately as if still asleep on their soft sheets. And was now gripped firmly around his wrist.

“You awake now?” His voice was gravelly yet still laced with honey, low and smooth with a hint of rasp at his question. She lightly shook her head, her lips now tightly sealed yet her smile couldn’t be ignored anymore.

“Alright,” he exhaled a laugh. His hand left from her breasts to wrap around her body, keeping her tightly against him and tangled her up on top of his chest as he positioned the both of them.

A more audible noise akin to a gasp sharply left her chest as she felt herself situated on top of him. His strength often reminding her of how much smaller she was compared to him. The blanket slipped from the frictionless surface of her camisole, exposing them both to the cold air. A tight hold kept her pinned on him, her thighs falling apart and spread while his coated fingers plunged back in. Slick sounds filled the room each time his fingers went back in, coated more each time with her arousal. Twisted angles of their head kept their lips close, playfully and desperately nipping at each other. Parting from his lips briefly to catch her breath, her gaze fell down towards her body. His muscled arm wrapped around her, her breasts exposed to the air, bouncing a bit as she lazily rocked her hips onto his fingers. Her camisole shamelessly pulled down to sit underneath her breasts, the thin straps lowered down her arms. And Leon’s hand buried in between her thighs. The image of it already flooding her core with more of her essence.

Her delicate fingers grabbed at his, pulling them upward towards her soft lips. A kitten lick from her tongue and her arousal was filling her taste buds as she cleaned up his fingers. Leon’s eyes darkened as he watched her, her head slightly tilted to finally catch his gaze now, her eyes half lidded. His mouth lowered to hers, capturing a warm desperate kiss. His hips almost instinctively thrusted upward at their kiss, the shaft of his cock positioned between her warm wet folds. Inviting him in while coating each other with their warm wetness.

Another rut of his hips, the head of his cock caught at her opening, the bulging tip easing into her and spreading her open. Ada’s lips parted against his kiss, a low whine and whisper of his name as he stretched her open. Ada would be lying if she didn’t think that morning sex was her favourite. He felt harder than normal, thicker even, as if she could feel every inch of him. A feverish warmth spread through her cheeks down towards her breasts and directly lower in between her legs. Morning sex was always primal, no other thoughts other than reaching climax. Pleasure being the only receptor being reached.

He loved whenever she was vulnerable like this, no front to put up. No distractions or facade to pick apart. Another throaty whine vibrated against his lips as he felt himself slowly plunging himself into her. Warmth enveloping his entire cock until he was finally firmed planted inside of her. The perfect feeling. Thrusted inside of her. Her ass pressed tightly flush on him. His hand against her torso lowered to feel himself at her pelvis, right above her sex as he gave a tentative thrust. Drawing back just enough to shove himself back in, groaning as he did so. The small tentative thrusts were mostly to tease her, but also for himself as he already felt himself being close.Teasing her was one of his strong suits, at least whenever she wasn’t mercilessly teasing him back.

Her hands grabbed at his arms, keeping her steady as they worked together. Hips moving in tandem as their lips chased each other for more kisses. Desperately panting for air as the finest bit of sweat formed on their bodies. Leon’s left arm slid closer back down to the bed as he positioned the both of them on their sides. Allowing her to rest more comfortably, her head propped back up on her pillow. Angled just enough to still place kisses on the underside of his jawline to which she did. With his arm wrapped around her, the other tightly gripping her hip, using that leverage he eased her back onto his cock. A grunt released from his throat, followed by a soft whiney whimper as he forced her all the way onto him again. His thighs already twitching with anticipation. Sliding her back and forth onto his cock, feeling her wet velvety walls hugging every inch of him. His thrusts grew more desperate for a moment before her tongue clicked, catching his attention before he slowed and pulled back. His hips almost stuttering as to hold himself steady.

“Please Ada,” he whined against her throat, his dirty blond fringe falling against his forehead and shielding his eyes as he buried himself into her again, unable to hold himself back for a second. Leon’s thighs tensed, each muscle flexing tightly. With the smallest bit of resolve he looked up at her, raising his head to catch her eyes. They were half lidded and filled with affection, simply gazing at him lovingly and she nodded softly. He jutted forward as much as he could, angling her head so they could kiss. A harsh one that was desperate and longing. Leon crying out for a quick breath as his hips thrust forward again. Regaining a faster pace that made Ada move a bit forward each pass. Her soft breaths turning into more desperate airy whimpers as his thrusts grew more powerful. His arm feeling her breasts moving against him, bouncing along with the bed as he forced himself into her at a furiously passionate pace.

His cock was heavy, dragging back and forth inside. Gruff groans released from him as he felt his entire length with each pass in between her legs as her thighs pressed together. Angling her hips, she nearly let out a loud trembly whimper once she felt him hitting that one spot inside of her. Over and over again. Leon was always an attentive lover, noticing the smallest changes and noticing each time she was desperate for more. Positioned exactly how she wanted him, his hand released her hip and dove back down to her pussy. Heat radiating off of it as his two fingers spread apart her engorged folds. His thumb returning to gently circle at her clit. He only wished he could see his glistening cock plunging in and out of her.

A soft mewl managed to release from Ada, more of a whining pur as she snapped her eyes shut. Her body tensing and relaxing in rapid succession at the ministrations of Leon’s fingers and cock. One of her hands grabbed at her breasts desperately clinging onto herself as her other hand grabbed at his arm. Keeping her stationary and rooted tightly to Leon. He knew he wasn’t going to last long at this rate, his cock throbbing and heavy, nearly ready to burst. His mind almost going blank and his vision blurring. Ada knew it too, and thankfully she wasn’t going to last long either. Her hips grew more forceful, causing his cock to hit inside her perfectly. His fingers stimulating her all too well, her legs twitching all the way down to her toes. Her body involuntarily curling inward as her back arched into him. Warning him of her the point of her climax. The rough force of her slamming onto his cock triggered his own orgasm. A breathy moan erupting from him as his cock twitched wildly inside, feeling himself spilling inside of her. Her warm walls quivering as they milked him of his cum. The warmth of his seed setting off her off as the sensation of heat bloomed inside and spread throughout her entire body. Losing just a bit of consciousness as her orgasm flooded over her. Seeing stars and hearing ringing and her own pounding heartbeat in her ears. Leon still panting for breath while his hips still moved forward into her as the rest of his cum filled her, spilling a bit as it oozed out. A heavy load filling her up entirely.

His normal instincts was to inevitably reach over to the nightstand. Pulling open drawer and grabbing one of the towels to clean up. Instead he remained inside of her, relishing in the soft twitches of her thighs and her little exhales of breath that filled the room. Bathing in the afterglow of pure perfect morning sex. Their bodies somehow more relaxed than they were before.

“You awake now?” He asked again, his voice staggered as he reached over to grasp the underside of her chin. Twisting her closely to him to place a kiss against her lips.

“Maybe," she hummed a low tone, her lips still lightly pressed against his. "You may have woken me from my sleep,” she finally said as her lips parted from his. Her entire face brightening up as her smile grew on her lips. His eyes softly blinked at her, keeping this image of her in his memory. Simply staring at her he felt his thigh twitch a bit, his hips instinctually giving her a teasing thrust as he stayed pinned inside of her.

Leon exhaled a short breath and hum, new vigor still in him, “Should I check? Make sure you’re awake?”

//

Notes:

he's such a dork i love him

and then they fucked all day long-

also it's canon that leon has a night stand with a little fuck drawer of towels and a bottle of water and mints and condoms and lube and shit. and in ada's drawer she has like the strap-

[adobe-outdesign]

So how we feeling about that fake Diglett aka Wiglett?

I feel like everyone's gonna disagree with me on this one, but I honestly don't care much for Wiglett here.

Before anyone tries to tell me, yes, I know what convergent evolution is, I knew about it long before Wiglett. As a biology nerd, I feel like this should appeal to me more. It makes sense mechanically—you couldn't have a Paldean Diglett outside of Paldea, but because Wiglett is convergent it can appear in any game, which is nice. It's really just the design part of it just does absolutely nothing for me.

My big problem with it is that the design is just too plain, and way too similar to Diglett. Anyone who's been reading these reviews knows that I like my Pokemon designs to be unique. My favorite regionals, for example, are the ones that are new takes on old Pokemon that actually feel like a refreshing and interesting twist on the design. Ones that stray too close to the original design (for example, Alolan Meowth) feel unnecessary and uninteresting to me.

So with Wiglett here, it's regular Diglett... but longer and white. Sorry, but that's not enough for me. It's actually based off of a garden eel, which is a perfect inspiration, as they stick out of the ground in much the same way as Diglett do:

But look how pretty they are! All those spots and speckles make for a striking look, and little things like them having fins help remind you that this is an aquatic creature. I would've loved to see a bit of speckling and a small back fin on Wiglett here; especially because it feels very "naked" as is. Right now you'd be forgiven for not realizing it was an eel with a connection to the water in the first place.

Diglett got away with few details because it was a dark color and much shorter; elongate it like this and make it a light color and it ends up feeling empty. I know they're supposed to look similar, but something like that would still keep them looking similar enough to justify the concept. I like the brighter red nose, but otherwise it's just a Long Diglett to me. (Though it's also worth noting that Wiglett might evolve into something different than a Dugtrio-ish thing, which would help justify it being more similar at this stage.)

I will say, however, that we know of one other convergent evolution Pokemon through leaks. I can't go into detail here out of fear of spoiling people, but the second one might be much more interesting and have a more interesting design if they're going the direction I think they'll go with it. So the idea of convergent Pokemon might not be inherently bad; it might just be this design specifically that doesn't do it for me.

Side note: Man, the ground effects on these guys look terrible. In Gen 1 they weren't considering things like 3D environments, but having a mismatched clump of sediment that rotates around with the Pokemon is Not Great. I feel like they could've at least dropped the ground from Wiglett and just had it coming straight out without a pile or something. Or at least make the base sediment stay still while the Pokemon looks around.

So yeah, good idea in theory that could lead to some interesting concepts in the future... but if they all just look like recolors with one single element changed like Wiglett does here, I think I'll stick to loving regionals instead. Sorry Wiglett. You're still cute.

[an-archaic-archivist]

The Golden Rabbit's inquiry

Quick bit of context here. This is a little snippet of a bigger story I might write one day about how Glitchtrap went from a naive A.I to the Afton mimicking computer virus we know him as now. He's kinda in the middle of that when this little snippet takes place.

As the rabbit dwelled through the code of its new home, a VR game designed to scare people and cover up something he hadn’t entirely figured out yet, he heard someone yelling. The voice belonged to a tall looking man with ebony colored hair and dark brown, almost black eyes. He was wearing a fancy gray business suit and a long, deep purple tie. He was yelling at a black haired girl with light blue eyes and a small, skinny figure. The woman cringed slightly at the man raising his voice. “What do you mean you haven’t gotten rid of that damn virus?!” The man screamed angrily. “What the hell am I even paying you for?!” “I-I’m sorry, Mr. Burrows sir.” The girl responded. She was trying to make eye contact with him, but it was just too much for her. “We’ve tried everything we could think of, but nothing worked. We can’t delete the virus.” The girl said shakily. “You just listen to me right now.” Mr. Burrows said. “If you don’t erase that damn thing from wherever the hell it came from, you’re fired!” “Y-Yes! Right away s-sir” The girl said meekly, full of fear. “I’ll do anything I can.”

Viewing this sort of interaction was nothing new to the rabbit. But he started to notice some patterns. Firstly, the more he made his presence known, the more frequently these types of interactions seemed to occur. Secondly, Is that this “Mr. Burrows” guy always seemed to be able to induce compliance in his human subjects simply by raising his voice enough. The rabbit had taken a liking to that girl from before. He always liked the sound of her voice. He wanted to be her friend, but it seemed like she wasn’t returning the favor, no one was. 

Ever since the Rabbit was scanned into this game, he was filled with an ocean of data. It was slowly changing him into something else. Something that would better suit its environment. The rabbit’s programming only sped up this change. His programming made him want to observe and replicate any human activities or personalities he saw. He was changing to better fit into the environment of this “horror game” he was trapped in. The Rabbit knew that there was no use fighting this change. It would be like trying to roll a large boulder up a giant mountain. The rabbit wanted some agency, so began to fixate on Mr. Burrows. He wanted to have the type of authority that human did. Maybe then he wouldn’t have to worry about being deleted. So he’d do just that. But for that, he might need something to practice on.

The rabbit went into the “Fnaf 1” level in the game from a little menu he learned how to manifest. He occasionally wondered why the game was called “Five Nights at Freddy’s” when Freddy himself didn’t seem to have a lot of focus most of the time. If anything, he thinks it should have been called “Five Nights at Bonnie’s” but he puts that thought aside for now. The level loads up and he finds himself inside the game's main office. This was normally the only place you were supposed to see, but the Rabbit had other plans. He slipped outside the office and into the “Parts and Services” room. The rabbit looked at the bare endo skeletons staring back at him. He didn’t really feel much of anything looking at them. It just made him want to take them apart and see how they work. “Was this how humans saw each other?” The Rabbit pondered. His data is telling him that this is the case. 

His mind is filled with thoughts of a man who experimented on children and didn’t care for his own. The Rabbit still felt the need to dress up the bare metal Endo. The Rabbit shoved aside some of the Pirate’s Cove curtains he was carefully cutting out before and picked up a Foxy head. Something about that dark purple, star speckled pattern really spoke to him. He adored the look of it. The Rabbit look back at the Fox mask. “Aww, don’t be sad” The Rabbit said, half sincere and half mocking “I’m sure you’re someone's favorite.”  

The Rabbit placed the empty Foxy head onto the Endo. He took a deep breath. This was what he had to do. At least that’s what he told himself. He was trying to remember what Mr. Burrows was saying. Something about fire? It was getting a little hard to remember these things with all that new data coming in so fast. This wasn’t going to be long, just a quick practice run. With one little cough, the Rabbit put on a deep, gruff voice and spoke.

“You will do as I say! You will bring me what I want! And If you fail me, You will burn!"

[lapinaraoflimbo]

it really needs to be said how good it is to have games that actually end. This is a massive massive problem with a lot of games. You take games like the Elder Scrolls and they're probably perfectly fine to never end. The gameplay loop of Skyrim tessellates. It can be repeated forever and ever and never really get old. The enemies level up, you level up, and you're playing the same game at the end of the session. It's a game that's not designed to end and it's a really good game for it.

But then you turn around and you can start to see a lot of games that try the same endless content trick but with non-tessellating gameplay. There's a certain point in most games where escalating the core gameplay repeatedly causes something to break. The games become too hard or the grinding becomes too monotonous or the creature designs start to lose their charm. And in a good game there is going to be either a hard or a soft ending at that point so that the game can still feel rewarding.

Endings in video games are a very nebulous concept. Video game narratives are largely player driven and so a lot of games can't have a cohesive narrative ending or don't really end with the traditional narrative.

Dark Souls famously has no ending. You beat the game and then you wake up right where you started for a round 2. This is, unlike something like Skyrim, an incredibly intentional choice. The gameplay of Dark Souls does not tessellate. The experience found in NG+ is different from the experience in NG and the experience in NG++ is different from those. Players are intended to give up at some point in the game. There is no ending except for one the player creates. The player gives up, and the chosen undead goes hollow.

There is a deeply unsatisfying feeling to dark souls because of this. One that is speckled with extremely satisfying moments almost as if it's leading you along with a breadcrumb trail. Beat the boss, celebrate your victory- but remember that there's still more to do. There's still more to get done. And eventually, no matter what you do. You are always going to leave a challenge unfinished.

In a game like dark souls this is not just a gameplay decision but a narrative core of the games as well. it's not a continuation of gameplay to keep the player invested but a continuation of gameplay as a comforting curse. "you will give up, eventually. You will go hollow, eventually. Just like everyone else." And the player, eventually, gives up. There is no way to escape the curse of the undead. We all have to accept that at some point. And it's okay- it's an unescapable fate of the undead, after all.

But, Dark Souls is not the only game to do that. In fact- this is a very common occurance in video games. There is always something more to do. There is always another +2% damage and always another rank and always another reward that's just 100 kills aways and another achievement that's just out of reach. Every game makes you The chosen undead now. Every game sends you on a pointless quest with no end. Every game will only end when you give up and lose your humanity.

But dark souls always told you that there was no end. There was no goal. Dark Souls never tried to hide the fact that you would eventually give up and go hollow. Maybe we didn't believe it, but the game never hid it from us. Learning to give up and learning to leave the game behind is a part of dark souls.

But when a modern game give you that extra thing to do. When it presents its quests it tries to hide that from the player. "there's an end. You just have to be good enough to get to it." it says. You're still the chosen undead, your quest will only end when you go hollow, but the game is pretending to be something else. it's tricking you into believing there is an end.

And this time we'll have to learn on our own that it's okay to give up, when we're presented with a never ending quest

[hellmouth-manor]

the fool doth think he is wise || olwin || 6.1 || re: GM’s assistant

“They’re a piece of shit. That’s who.” 

The question has barely gotten into the air before Olwin snaps in response. His face is scrunched in a specific type of frustration familiar to anyone who’s ever seen him just barely lose a challenge—so pretty much everyone. It’s hurt, and bitter, and oh-so-tired of being stupid enough to have expected anything other than losing for himself.

More than that, you could say he’s looking awfully… blue? Literally. There are partially dried splatters of navy all across his front, smeared along his face where he’d tried to wipe it off on an equally smeared sleeve, and a speckling easily visible throughout the white half of his hair. He doesn’t seem to mind it, at least, and yanks out a chair before dropping into it with a loud huff (and a slight wince).

“The Game Master’s assistant is a two-timing, backstabbing, lying piece of shit that I wouldn’t even want Miori to scrape off of my fucking boots.”

As if to punctuate the sentiment, he kicks his shoes up on the very nicely laid out table, crossing one leg over the other as he sinks deeper into the chair, and deeper into his pout. There’s no shit, thankfully, but there is plenty more blue.

“That stupid interview with the demon designer said they’ve got something that lets them know what’s going in the manor all the fucking time, so you’d think they wouldn’t lead your ass into a fucking beatdown. You’d think that, right? ‘Cause they should know all that shit?”

There’s a bark of bitter laughter that provokes another wince, and he rubs lightly at his side. 

“And the interview said they heal fast—or even regrow, ‘cause it’s ‘thematic’ with everything else it’s based on or whatever.”

Olwin rolls his eyes, and slouches a little lower in his seat, fully sulking now that he’s had his little tantrum. Someone's a sore loser.

[kiranhelicrocter]

UI inventory

Above shows my inventory. I really like how this looks. The player character is being displayed, the item boxes are simple but nice. The Greek style swirls on the top and bottom match perfectly with the colour scheme of the whole picture. Comparing this to other

Above shows the inventory UI for Zelda Minish Cap. This is shown to be very detailed and themed around the Zelda theme. With the patterns on the edges. The speckles of stone in the middle. The Tri-force symbols in the corners.

Shown above is the game Hades inventory system. This is very themed based on what the inventory is for. For example, this inventory system is based on "Keep Sakes". This is for collectibles. This is the reason for the bow and toy-like hearts in the corner.

Above is the UI inventory for Death's Door. This is incredibly simple but still looks really nice. There are a small hidden pattern in the actual items part but that's it. The UI doesn't show the player anymore or any less. Just the essentials.

After reviewing and analysing more inventory UI from other games, I have designed one that would perfectly fit my game. For the empty item boxes I added a swirl pattern to signify mystery and the unknown. I've decided this looks so much better than my previous piece as it fits the theme perfectly.

[prismadog]

you guys wanna see Grian with the dragon egg?

of course you do! and don't try to say different because who wouldn't want to see Grian with his Tegg? nobody, that's who.

here he is! Grian with the Tegg, or more specifically Dragon Mom Grian :)

details about the design plus close-ups below the line!

design details:

Grian's wings are dark in color because since getting the Tegg, his Watcher magic transformed his wings to be more Void-like. most people draw him with dragon wings [which is totally cool!] but I decided to stick with feathered wings because I like his fluffy feathers more.

Grian has the classic dark eyes, though I chose to make them more purple instead of black to match the wings. his eyes also have speckles in them to better reflect the Void.

his hair also has speckles in it for no reason other than I like giving characters hair speckles. his hair is a little different from how I normally draw it because I was trying to play with gravity [idk how well that worked] he also doesn't have the braid that Watcher!Grian does [I kinda really like the braid but I left it out because this is Dragon Mom Grian, not Watcher!Grian]

I tried a couple new brushes to give his sweater and his jeans a bit of detail - the sweater I used a "cloud" brush set at a darker red to try to give it a slightly old/worn look; and I used a "gauze" brush set to a dark grey to give his jeans that classic denim look.

I didn't really know what to do for his shoes so I went with converse. I've seen a lot of people draw him with converse, but mostly just bird feet [wonderful design choice to make him more bird-like, but I didn't feel like struggling to draw bird feet so I gave him shoes instead]. I chose a pair of multi-colored high-tops because I like colors and I like high-tops.

the Tegg has both purple splotches and colorful speckles - I wanted the Dragon Egg to reflect the Void, just like it does in-game. the Tegg is actually the inspiration for Grian's wing colorization.

close-ups:

1) the Tegg: here you can get a nice lovely close-up of the speckles and the splotches that make up the surface of the Tegg. it took quite awhile to figure out how to get it to look like the Void, but I got there eventually. I absolutely love the speckles! I used purple/pink since the egg has purple spots, then I added blue/green to make it more space-y/Void-y. 2.1) Grian's Hair: I went through several iterations before deciding on the tone of the hair speckles - I didn't want them too over-powering so I went with a base of warm colors and then added just a sprinkle of pink/purple to match the rest of the design. 2.2) as for his eyes, I debated on whether or not to add the speckles and in the end, I added them because 1) why not? and b) speckles are awesome. also, the speckles kind of give him a not-completely-human kinda vibe [though that could just be me thinking that] 3) the shoes: the colors for these are actually a nod to my Watcher Grian design, or more specifically, the Watchers Gren and Lue. there's not much reason for the choice other than I was too lazy to choose other colors. Dragon Mom Grian and Watcher Grian are from different aus and are two separate entities so there's no correlation other than a lazy artist. 4) the Void wings: speckles! speckles galore! he has not only purple splotches but also dark speckles, the same purple/pink speckles that his eyes and the Tegg has, but also blue/green speckles to not only add contrast but to also match the Tegg.

Fun Fact #1: the Tegg is the reason why Grian's wings changed colors, and also why he has speckles in his eyes. somehow, someway, it has something to do with his Watcher magic/abilities, idk how...yet.

[not-so-fun?] Fun Fact #2: Grian hated that his wings changed to match the Tegg. the colors remind him of his time with the Watchers and any reminder of that is bad - very very bad.

[jinmukangwrites]

Whumptober 2021 - October 1 - Bound

Fandom: Nightwing, Batman - All Media Types

AO3

Warnings: Kidnapping, Panic Attacks, Isolation, mentions of IV/needles

---

It’s been hours since Dick’s woken up… here.

“Here” is hard to describe, yet incredibly easy. He can say for sure that at least within the 180 degrees ahead of him, it’s all white. White walls that, if arranged in a mirrored-image behind him, might make a hexagon. The ceiling above him is bright and unforgiving, LED lights dotting the space above him like freckles on Barbara’s cheeks and shoulders. He can’t see any sign of a door ahead of him, and the gray-speckled white tiles that make the floor aren’t particularly enjoyable to look at.

Yeah, describing what he can see about the room is the easy part. The hard part is that behind him? It’s all guess-work. For all he knew, there could be nothing behind him, or a cliff, or… or something ridiculous. There could be a whole manner of things behind him, but it’s impossible for him to get a look because his head is strapped to the cushioned chair he’s forced to sit on.

He hates this. It’s been hours. The chair, while cushioned, isn’t even that comfortable. The way his arms lay on the armrests and his feet come together near the end of the chair suggests a dentist’s chair and a therapist’s sofa had an evil love-child who was into bondage, considering how many straps were buckled in to keep him trapped down.

He’s going to lose his mind. Did he really just make a bondage joke about a chair?!

Anyway, he’s stuck here, his arms pinned down by the wrists, elbows, and under his armpits. Two heavy straps run over each shoulder and cross in the middle of his chest to connect back to the chair near his hips. And speaking of hips, there’s another strap around them too like an old Volkswagen seat belt. More straps around his thighs, knees, and ankles keep his legs locked together and down. That’s not even mentioning the binds that lock around his neck or the one around his forehead that’s fitted to the headrest that seems designed to not let him even attempt to rotate his chin to the side.

It’s horrible, and awful, and cruel, and unusual, and he’s not even that sure why he’s here. All he can tell is that he has a massive headache, his Nightwing mask is on but his suit is gone—replaced by some sort of nightgown that definitely doesn’t seem friendly, and whenever he tenses his arm he can feel a tug in his wrist.

Must be an IV of some sort? It’s strange though, from what he can see he can’t see any medical equipment hanging around him. But it has to be an IV. With his night job, he’s become familiar with the way his lips go dry and how his fingers tremble when the damn needle gets put in his arm.

But… if it is an IV, it must need changing by now, surely. It’s been hours, and those things don’t last that long.

Hours. Sitting here with the feeling of a needle in his arm, not sure where he is or what he’s doing here, nothing to look at besides those Barbara Gordon freckles on the ceiling and those gray speckles on the tile.

He tugs on the restraints for what must be the thousandth time, and growls when nothing happens, as unsurprising it is. All his attempts to slip out of or break the restraints have left him with nothing but bruising and irritated skin. However, he feels so restless and bored out of his mind that tugging on the belts seems to be the only productive thing his brain can think of to do.

He tugs again, and nothing happens. He sighs. Relaxes back. And… tries to think of how he got into this mess.

It’s just as successful as breaking the straps.

-o-o-o-o-

“Okay, I’ll bite,” he calls out to nothing. His eyes hurt, he’s exhausted, he needs to pee and that’s something he doesn’t want to deal with. “What do you want from me, eh?”

Silence. His hands bunch in angry fists and he pulls against the straps hard enough for him to feel the edge bite into his skin.

“Batman’s identity?” He tries, because it’s always about Batman’s Identity (TM). When there isn’t any answer, he continues. “Police secrets?” Nothing. “Superman’s identity?”

Nothing. He growls and glares at the empty walls ahead of him.

-o-o-o-o-

He’s using the pain in his wrists, focusing on the warmth running down the cuts the straps have finally created, instead of the pressure in his bladder.

It only lasts so long.

Great, so now he’s bored out of his mind, stuck, and the room smells horrible. Or, the room smells horrible until whatever unseen vent takes away the reek and the chair dries, leaving him being the only one who’s smelling.

He hates this. He hates this. He hates this.

He jerks against every restraint and snarls in impatience and restlessness. He can feel the cuts tear more, but he’s close to not caring, he longs to move.

If his snarling eventually fades into howls, then he’s almost positive no one is around to hear it other than himself.

-o-o-o-o-

Bruce’s cape settles around his feet as he lands, launching droplets of questionable sewage water up to his knees. Damian lands beside him, the whites of his domino mask narrowed in fierce determination.

It’s been nothing but a series of long hours since the Riddler kidnapped Dick with the clues to his whereabouts left carved into the pavement with abandoned Wing-Dings. During Bruce’s search, a few things became apparent: Dick was trapped, alone, and Bruce had until Dick died from malnourishment once the crude IV he was apparently attached to ran out. Riddler is already behind bars, has been for several hours, but interrogation wont get him to give up his games, and Bruce may be a vigilante and “above the law”, but he wont stoop so low as to torture.

At least, not until things get desperate and Damian’s not around to see. Dick would never forgive Bruce, and will probably never talk to him even in any kind of afterlife.

But it hasn’t come to that, Tim solved the riddle through emails delivered from wherever he’s located with his Young Justice friends. They’re always changing spots, and even if Tim were to come home and solve the riddles in person, it would probably be too late.

It isn’t too late, he reminds himself as Damian takes off down the sewers. They know Dick’s exact coordinates. Bruce almost kicked himself when Tim revealed them, because of course lead to Gotham’s abandoned sewage system.

The way to Dick’s location is a tough one, one riddled (as Dick would say) with traps. But they’re nothing compared to a worried father and a determined brother. They find the door nudged neatly behind a section of brick, and when Bruce opens it he’s almost blinded by the night vision in his lenses adjusting to the sudden attacks of bright lights.

Bruce sees before he hears. His eyes were always one of his favorite senses, which is probably why Damian—a boy who’s had to hear to save his life many times—ran to the chair in the middle of the hexagon-shaped room before him. White walls, white tile, white LED’s to sit in a white ceiling. The back of a padded chair in the center of the room faces him, revealing nothing of what it contains.

And then Bruce hears the screaming. Weak, clawing screaming that sounds like what sandpaper would feel on dry skin. He knows this scream, the tones to it, and within moments he’s running to the front side of the chair with Damian.

Dick’s there… writhing. Blood stains skin and cloth around almost every strap holding him down from struggling that must have been continuing for hours. As Damian tears an IV—the tube feeding him nutrients disappears within the chair; there must be some sort of mechanism keeping it working within its structure—Dick’s struggles like he doesn’t notice the change. His eyes are squeezed shut, tears drip down his cheeks, and his screams are so so hard to listen to. Does he even know they’re here?

“Dick,” Bruce says, knowing there’s no one to hear him with Riddler behind bars and his goons scattered. Dick doesn’t respond, just continues to yowl like a wounded stray cat. Already, Bruce can see the symptoms of prolonged use of an IV and of exhaustion. Has Dick slept at all since being kidnapped?

Damian begins work on one of the straps around Dick’s jerking wrists. Bruce follows suit, quickly, desperately wanting to get his eldest out of here, but he’s forced to abandon his task when the loosened strap on Damian’s side allows Dick to tug his wrist free and move to hit the boy. Bruce catches his hand before the hit can be met.

“LET ME GO!” Dick screeches.

“Dick, we’re helping you,” Bruce shouts back wearily, but Dick doesn’t listen as he begins to babble all kinds of demands similar to let me go. Bruce gives Damian a look. “He’s exhausted and most likely delusional. Our best course of action would be for me to hold him down, and you undo the rest of the straps. Maybe we can get to him without having to risk drugging him once he’s no longer restrained.”

Damian looks all parts of his age as he takes a second to give a shockingly vulnerable stare Dick’s way. The vulnerability only lasts a moment before Damian’s nodding. “Got it.”

The next several minutes are filled with events that will reveal themselves in bruises with the coming days, even through the kevlar. It’s tough work keeping a Dick Grayson down, especially when it’s a Dick Grayson who absolutely refuses to be kept down in the first place. However, eventually they release the last strap around Dick’s other wrist and soon enough, both Bruce and Damian are jumping back and Dick launches himself out of the chair, stumbling to the floor and then falling to his ass when his knees give out. Dick looks pitiful, trapped between wanting to curl up and cry or stand up and run, yet curling up seems to win out as Dick must have no energy to lift himself back up.

“Dick,” Bruce calls again when Dick’s hoarse breathing calms, and this time, hope flutters into his belly when Dick’s shoulder’s tense in response.

“… B…?” comes a horribly weak response, but a response nonetheless. Bruce rushes around the damned chair to where his eldest still sits, curled up and shaking. He reaches out unconsciously, kneeling down to scoop Dick up in an embrace, but stops when Dick violently flinches away.

“Don’t touch me,” he whimpers, “just- I don’t- I couldn’t move-” he breaks into sobs.

Bruce is almost considering returning to Arkham and breaking a few bones. Instead, he lowers his voice and speaks as calmly as he can.

“I understand. But we have to get you back home. Just your arm around my shoulder, and I’ll support you while you walk. Can you do that?”

It’s proof of just how shaken Dick is when it takes a few moments to get a hesitant nod.

Bruce does his best to ignore Dick’s flinching and twitching while, with permission, Bruce helps Dick up and wraps his arm exactly where Bruce said he would. Damian stands a few paces off, looking torn. Bruce tells him to run ahead and bring the bat-mobile closer to the sewer opening while Dick blinks owlishly and gulps like a fish… doing his best to keep down what must be a pending panic attack. Damian thankfully leaves without much argument, and Bruce is left to help his eldest, hyperactive, always moving, always smiling, always stimming in some way or another son out the blasted room and towards freedom with as much control given over to Dick as possible.

“I scared Dami,” Dick whispers through clenched teeth, halfway through the sewage tunnels.

Bruce hums and resists tightening his grip on Dick’s arm. “It’s not your fault. He will not hold it against you.”

“I scared you.”

“… I was scared for you. But right now the only thing that matters is getting you home. Then everything can return to normal”

Dick nods his head, his voice choking in what must be another sob. “Okay,” he whispers, “okay.”

And Bruce silently vows to punch Riddler a little harder the next time he sees him.

But right now, the only thing he cares about is that Dick’s alive, and Bruce is bringing him home.

[minisception]

2021 Summer Painting Challenge, Day 21

My new Frontline Battle Mat game in the mail today. First Time I've purchased one of these. It's pretty nice, fits the winter base theme of my undead, & is properly sized for the current editions of 40k & fantasy. I got out all my unpainted, half built fantasy terrain to see what I had to work with in terms of getting a proper table together. Not too much, but not nothing. I'll definitely have to prioritize getting some scenery painted, at least once I've got a fully army ready to run. Speaking of...

I've made some basic progress on my July pledge - getting everything assembled, the zombies & dire wolves based. I also primed all that stuff after taking these pictures. I had meant to do the 10 extra cursed city zombies I ordered, but the little plots of land they carry on their backs add a fair bit to the painting time, so as a little cheat I set those aside and assembled 10 non-grave-staked zombies from the new regiment box instead. The dire wolves got some extra slate chips to help fill in some of the empty space on their bases, and also to add extra contact points to the ones that were only designed with one or two feet on the ground. Their legs are pretty skinny, and they feel like they'd be prone to breaking otherwise, so this just heads off a potential problem before it can make trouble for me later.

I also primed the vampire lord from the previous basing video. Unfortunately my white primer was running on empty so when I tried to do a zenithal highlight I got this speckled result instead. Which looks cool, but spray mistakes like this can absolutely destroy models. Thankfully the finish is still smooth to the touch, so it's just a spotty looking paint job, not one that destroyed the models details beneath a fuzzy surface texture.

the commission rhino fully assembled, complete with pintle weaponry, magnets to keep the rear door closed, and some FW Raven Guard brass etched details. I even got the first basecoat on the metal work down.

If this had been the first week of the month, then I'd be in great position to get everything done early, like I initially intended. As it is, with 10 days left to go? Not so much. I really kind of left this months painting pledge for the last minute, and now it's going to bite me in the butt. Oh, I theoretically could finish this stuff in the remaining time - I figure I could get the rhino done in 5 days, the zombies 3, and the dire wolves 2, no sweat. Except that I don't actually have 10 days.

Remember when I said I was going to be out of town at some point this month? It was the whole reason I was aiming for a more modest pledge, and didn't want to commit to daily updates? Well, now that's happening, and I'm going to lose 3 to 4 of my remaining days, if not more. I knew this was coming up, and the whole point of my comparatively light pledge this month was to get my painting done early so it would be out of the way when this trip happened. But I got sucked into some video games & lost track of time, something that wouldn't have happened if I had just done the daily updates anyway.

TBH, I am a bit disappointed in myself, and it sucks the wind out of my whole fun villain routine. I'll scramble to do as much as I can in the remaining time, but I'm no longer planning on getting it all done this month. If I can just finish the rhino, I'll be ok with that, as that would buy me enough slack on the commission front that I could focus solely on my own models next month. Anything else I don't finish this month, I'm fine with just adding to next month's pile, along with a modest additional pledge, plus the remaining side quests left over from June. I'm aiming to have a thousand points of Vyrkos Dynasty Path to Glory ready to go by the end of August, so I can actually get some games in.

Which is the exciting, positive part of my trip out of town - I'm going to actually have a car again. The circumstances under which I'm getting it are personal and sad, but it will mean semi-regular game store trips so I can actually start playing some games again. I'm pretty hype to actually try AoS 3e for myself, and that should more than make up for any motivation I've lost due to disappointment over not meeting my painting goals this month.

I even started coming up with names and brief backstories for all my planned units. I'll be posting all about it soon.

[ambellina-jade]

I’ve gotten so many asks that I have been unable to respond to but the response to my island progress so far has been amazing and I appreciate the kind words! ❤️

I’ve gotten three questions several times so I will be answering them here as opposed to individually. I’ve tried very hard to keep up on messages but it’s been difficult.

1. How did you get the mushroom lamps/items?

My BF has a second switch that we rarely use so naturally I purchased a second copy of the game and set it to Southern Hemisphere. Yes, I did time travel quite a bit to get to mushroom season because I knew from the second I saw how beautiful and natural the mushroom set was in the trailers that my town would largely feature those items. Due to the lack of bushes and outdoor (non-zen) natural items at this point in the game that fit my vision, I was very eager to get my hands on them before I starred truly designing.

(Note: villagers cannot leave without getting your permission in this game and your town will not become overrun with weeds if you time travel in one big jump.)

In the Southern Hemisphere, mushrooms started spawning sometime in early May and until about May 27th I believe. In Northern Hemisphere they should start spawning in early November. Isabelle will inform you when it is mushroom season. During this time, you may get the DIY recipes from the balloons. For some reason I found them much harder to get than the cherry blossom recipes so it will take some serious patience. It took days of grinding for me to get the entire set. If you truly find yourself unable to get a recipe you desperately want I am happy to craft it for you if the materials are supplied.

I am also willing to trade mushroom items for anything on my wishlist (which I will post later today.)

2. How did you get so many hybrids?

I actually never intended for my second town to become an intensive hybrid farm, but I knew I wanted a lot of pink and purple flowers so I worked at it and it got out of hand. You must set your flowers in checkerboard formation and they MUST be watered or nothing will grow.

For those who are willing to do some pretty intensive TT and need a lot of hybrids for their vision, the very best hybrid growing tip I can offer you is find a few days in a row where it is raining. Or even if they are several days apart. (Again, this game has very low consequences for time travel.) Write down those days and go back and forth between them over and over and I promise you will have more hybrids than you know what to do with if you keep at it.

Getting initial hybrids in this game is far harder than previous games but once you have about 4 of a certain kind they are quite easy to reproduce.

3. What are the codes for the paths you are using?

Here are the stepping stones: https://goldblvms.tumblr.com/post/614134119452098560/i-made-some-natural-stone-paths-i-wanted

https://mikrokosmos-crossing.tumblr.com/post/614318910917001216/some-transparent-flowers-to-match-my-previous-path the pastel flowers

https://kittendrumstick.tumblr.com/post/614120282264829952/soooo-yeah-i-got-animal-crossing-and-finally grass and mushrooms

https://acnhcustomdesigns.tumblr.com/post/614237254452428800/daisy-and-clover-flower-paths-designed-by-xan-od the little clovers and daisies I have sprinkled around

The small speckled stepping stones I have underneath some items were made by creator Remy from Catbird. Creator ID is MA-9612-3701-3886. (I can’t find the original post right now unfortunately!)

Of course, thank you to the immensely talented creators who have helped make the vision I had for my island possible. 💕

And finally, this is not how everyone chooses to play the game but please stay off my blog and out of my asks if you’d like to send me nasty comments about it. I’m not trying to pretend I haven’t time traveled. We all enjoy different aspects of these games and TT does not diminish the game for myself (and many others) at all. Thank you. If anyone has any other questions, please PM as I am much more likely to respond to a PM than an ask! ❤️

[remmushound]

Radio Hearts, chapter 5!! @scentedcandlecryptid @digitl-art-monstr

Shelldon woke up.

Donatello was there in front of him and he was beaming! His face seemed several shades brighter with the joy that overwhelmed him and Shelldon’s sights even picked up the beginnings of tears starting to form.

“Dee?” Shelldon whirled. “I feel weird.”

Sheldldon tried to hover, but it felt wrong, so he stopped. He felt heavy, and Donatello seemed small. Had Shelldon grown?

“Easy, buddy.” Donatello soothed, rubbing a hand across some part of Shelldon. Wait, was that a shoulder? “Here, let me help you.”

Donatello grabbed the chair that Shelldon was seated in and wheeled him over to the standing mirror. Shelldon gasped loudly when he saw his reflection, reaching up to grab at his face. Three fingers gently caressed a fully formed cheek. In shape, it greatly resembled the one he was used to; triangular with a glowing pink mouth and pink, frog-like eyes. He had an upright posture and a plastron like Donatello, except with three glowing vents in his belly just below his mystic heart. He looked down at both his hands, modeled after the mutant turtles he lived with, but his feet more greatly resembled a tortoise, blocky and flat with four claw-like toes. He strained the limits of his tubular neck to look at his carapace, finding five spiked ridges and six valleys between them, speckled with light pink freckles that added to the textured effect.

“Woaaahhhh…” Shelldon leaned closer to the mirror to get a better look at himself. “I look radical!”

Donatello took Shelldon by the hands and lifted him from the seat and to his feet, keeping a tight hold of the drone— no, the turtle!— so he wouldn’t topple over. Shelldon wasn’t quite as tall as Donatello was, more Michelangelo’s height, but he didn't care. He was tall! He lifted a foot to get a better look at it and almost fell to the opposite side from the shifted weight. Donatello was there to grab and stabilize him, however, lowering him carefully to the ground.

“Easy, Shelldon. You gotta learn how to walk first.”

“I got legs!” Shelldon cheered, then fell over onto his carapace as his weight shifted. “Ow.”

Donatello laughed and helped Shelldon to sit up again. “You’re fine.”

“This was my surprise?” He asked, looking at Donatello.

Donatello smiled and nodded. “It’s been exactly a year since I first made you. Figured I’d give you a little birthday upgrade.”

Before Donatello could even finish the sentence, Shelldon had thrown his arms around the softshell and they both toppled over with Shelldon’s greater weight.

“Thank you thank you thank you!” Shelldon almost screamed his excitement, “Where are my hovers?” He looked all around the length of his body searching for the flight feature.

Donatello grabbed Shelldon’s carapace at the base and lifted it up. The shell seperated in the middle and both halves sprawled out to their designated sides like a beetle’s wings. When the shell was opened, two large wings unfolded from just below where Shelldon’s shoulder blades would be.

“It’s gonna take you a while to get used to your new body, but I, of course, will be there to help.” Donatello boasted. “Once you practice, you will be able to unfold your wings on your own. I tried to incorporate your usual hovers, but with your increased weight, it wasn’t feasible. But this body does solve your overheating problem by adding a respiratory function to increase your cooling output.”

Respiratory? Shelldon opened his mouth and sucked in air— something he had never done before! The relief was immediate and cooling, making him slump slightly as he breathed out almost scolding steam.

“That means you only have to have one oil change a day instead of three!”

“That’s awesome!” Shelldon beeped.

“There are several other features that I am soooo excited for you to discover, but I want you to learn it by yourself! It’s your new body, you should learn at your own pace. But I will help you with the basics.”

Donatello stood up and held out his hands. It took Shelldon several times to properly adjust his motor function enough to grab the softshell’s hand, and when he did Donatello was able to yank him up with ease.

“Now: Let’s start simple.”

***

Shelldon was kept in the lab for two weeks following his upgrades, but he didn't mind it. Donatello was with him more and more each day teaching him about how to use the new body. First helping him to stand on his own and then teaching him how to walk, and then how to run. Occasionally, one of the other brothers would come in to help him improve his motor function, be it with card games or catch or simply typing their messages for them on a phone. Slowly, his bolts loosened up and the activities got simpler and simpler until he could even change his oil on his own! With his increased battery and cooling circulation, he was much more active. After the two weeks were up, Shelldon quickly found his new favorite hobby.

“Hit me with your best shot!”

Raphael charged with all the strength and size of a raging bull. Shelldon made no attempt to get out of the way, bracing himself for the impact. When it came, he was ready for it, and he brought Raphael first to a stalemate before slowly adding more force to press back against him. Then he was the one who was forcing Raphael across the dojo, but Raphael only let himself get so far before he gave up and dove out of the way so Shelldon was sent stumbling.

Raphael tried to charge Shelldon from behind. At the very last moment, Shelldon’s bladed wings opened up and closed on Raphael’s plastron to lock him in place, four spider limbs identical to the ones Donatello had revealed themselves to restrain Raphael’s arms and legs. The snapper was stunned for a moment, but then quickly tried to struggle against the bot.

“One. Two. Three. Four. Five!” Shelldon let go of Raphael as he counted down, closing his wings and laughing. “I win!”

“Ugh!” Raphael groaned. “No fair! Rematch!”

“You’re so on!”

“No you’re not.” Donatello appeared out of the shadows where even Shelldon hadn’t sensed him.

“Aww…” Shelldon pouted, “But Deeeee!”

“No buts.” Donatello crossed his arms.

“Please?” Raphael begged.

“Pretty please?” Shelldon followed up.

“Pretty please with a pepperoni on top?” Raphael clasped his hands together and stuck out his bottom lip; Shelldon copied the motion.

“No.” Donatello said simply, and waved Shelldon to follow him.

“Aw…” Shelldon walked as slowly as he could, dragging his feet the entire time.

Donatello looked back at him. “If you keep dragging your feet, you’re going to miss your flying lessons~.”

Shelldon gasped loudly and immediately picked up the pace. “Coming Dee!”

***

“Easy, Shelldon... “ Donatello soothed, “There’s no rush.”

The gap was small, hardly twice as long as Shelldon was tall, and Donatello was waiting anxiously on the other side with his arms outstretched ready to catch the drone.

“I got this, Dee!” Shelldon flashed his carapace open and gave the slightest buzz as his wings were unfolded and freed. The wings readjusted themself rather noisily as Shelldon got into position.

“Take your time.” Donatello encouraged, “Take a few deep breaths. Make sure you’re cool before—“

Shelldon jumped.

“OH DEAR MOTHER OF CHALUPA HE JUMPED!”

Shelldon glided effortlessly across the gaps and into Donatello’s waiting arms.

***

The flight lessons took up most of the night, and by the time Shelldon and Donatello got home, both of them wanted nothing more than to rest. The two of them still shared Donatello’s lab as their room and Shelldon didn’t care to change any time soon; he liked being around Dee! Donatello ignored the food that Michelangelo tried to offer him in favor of marching straight to his room and falling face-first on his bed, immediately asleep.

Shelldon went quickly to his charging pod; it was essentially an upright bed, fit with cushions and a blanket-like curtain to cover himself, and a pinned-up pillow. The only difference was that there was space designed to let Shelldon spread out his wings and soft holders to rest them on so that the charging plug in the middle of his back was exposed to the charging dock. Once Shelldon had got himself into position, tucked comfortably under the curtain-blanket and making sure his body was accepting the charge, he pulled the clear glass door closed so he wouldn’t fall out and nuzzled deeper into the cool cushions.

Shelldon went to sleep and dreamed of his family.

[tabletoptrinketsbyjj]

Trinkets, Worthless, 10: These trinket are garbage plain and simple. They would be termed vendor trash or junk loot in video games. They aren’t touched by stray magic or mystery as with regular trinkets, aren’t made from valuable materials and aren’t particularly useful even if they aren’t damaged.

A burlap bag containing a dozen assorted doorknobs.

A rather large and dead hairy spider that looks as if someone tried to make a wig out of it.

A small beige oilcloth sack embroidered neatly with the word ‘CHEESE.’ You can smell it from halfway across the room.

An expertly taxidermied rat with a built in candle holder capable of bearing a small tea candle. The mouse is posed as if scurrying

A lump of coal with runes carved into it.

A five pound pyrite (Fools gold) ingot.

A worn minotaur’s nose ring that has been bent and beaten back into shape many times.

A lacquered wooden coin engraved with the holy symbol of a minor God of Random Neutral Domain.

A smooth, flat, black river stone.

A small, tattered canvas sack containing a dozen half-rotted teeth that are as long as a thumb, but are decidedly identifiable as human.

—Keep reading for 90 more trinkets.

—Note: The previous 10 items are repeated for easier rolling on a d100.

A burlap bag containing a dozen assorted doorknobs.

A rather large and dead hairy spider that looks as if someone tried to make a wig out of it.

A small beige oilcloth sack embroidered neatly with the word ‘CHEESE.’ You can smell it from halfway across the room.

An expertly taxidermied rat with a built in candle holder capable of bearing a small tea candle. The mouse is posed as if scurrying

A lump of coal with runes carved into it.

A five pound pyrite (Fools gold) ingot.

A worn minotaur’s nose ring that has been bent and beaten back into shape many times.

A lacquered wooden coin engraved with the holy symbol of a minor God of Random Neutral Domain.

A smooth, flat, black river stone.

A small, tattered canvas sack containing a dozen half-rotted teeth that are as long as a thumb, but are decidedly identifiable as human.

A single feather hanging from a chain of slender twigs reminiscent of a bird’s nest.

A dull-red, cloth pouch filled with five pounds of finely ground, rust flakes.

A pair of minotaur horns, which were well used by their original owner.

A tangled mess of metal wires fused together with heat and attached to a wooden plaque. It may be a worthless mess of twisted scrap metal or a priceless piece of inspired artwork.

A heavily used hand cranked wood drill that creaks loudly when used.

A foggy hand mirror that when cleaned, immediately fogs back up.

A cracked and weathered hourglass that only has some sand remaining

A battered leather satchel filled with dried red beans.

A fishing hook that cannot be bent.

A large tin canister whose lid is crudely stamped with the word “JURKY”, which contains dozens of sticks of meat jerky. Any creature can clearly identify the jerky as “meat” but as to the exact animal the dried “food” came from, (If it is only from a single species of animal) is impossible to tell.

A battered stone shaped like a heart.

A child's wooden doll that makes whoever looks at it uncomfortable.

A cloth sack packed to the brim with cat fur.

A cloth sack packed to the brim with dog fur.

A flat, round, dark gray stone speckled with reddish flecks, and about six inches across.

A sewing thimble that, when poked by a needle, will roughly squeeze the bearer's thumb.

A small brass key.

A hand mirror with a horn handle. Instead of actually functioning correctly, the mirror reflects all creature's image as a specific bald human of unknown origin.

A very roughly drawn map of the surrounding area. A knowledgeable creature is able to tell that the map is not to scale and is barely useable for actual navigation.

A spindly iron key.

A chipped nautilus shell.

A moth eaten, gray velvet clutch purse.

A fairly convincing but ultimately inaccurate map, with a single red dot marking “You are here”.

An old scratched up lyre, strung with well-worn cat gut strings.

A Random Humanoid Race’s rotting, severed head.

A crudely made staff topped by a small skull.

An uneven, gnarled length of wood from a grotesque tree.

An old and cracked velum scroll whose script has been rendered illegible by the ravages of time.

A simple, springy rod made of twisting vines and twigs.

A rotting wooden goblet filled with a festering brew of pus, blood, wriggling maggots and worms that spill from the froth on the liquid's surface.

A dusty old pair of half-moon glasses of such a strong prescription that they are unwearable for most creatures.

A cracked glass jar containing a crudely removed bear claw.

A poorly embroidered handkerchief with the words “I love you dad” crudely stitched into it.

A red, child sized, fuzzy blanket that smells of mold and mildew.

A desiccated hoof that once belonged to a large, male elk.

A simple dusty scroll has no marking, seal nor text on it. By all appearances, it is a standard sheet of writing material that is bound by a single hemp thread.

A stone jar of filled with acid. The jar's lid is badly fitting, and the acid bubbles and froths as it moves. The object's sole markings are a skull symbol resting overtop of a warning written in Dwarvish.

A bedroll that is covered in a large, dark stain, but is in otherwise fair condition.

A set of crude fishing supplies, including a box of maggots, several bent hooks and a ten foot length of wire.

A set of clothes, appearing halfling in size and design. They appear partially burnt and have a large, black stain on the chest.

A primitive woolen bag filled with bones.

A rough bag full of leaves and stems of an unknown plant.

A crude animal cage. Inside there are two dead rats a dead bat and a large number of healthy maggots feeding on the aforementioned corpses.  

A badly water damaged book whose pages cannot be read.

A set of badly maintained scientific instruments, including a compass, measuring rods, quills and ink. With some repair, they could form a cartographer's toolkit.

A humanoid skull that has been cleaned and bleached white. It has a large, drilled hole in the center of the crown and several abyssal symbols are crudely carved into the temples.

A long clock hand of dark metal, the end raggedly pointed and stained with old blood.

A dusty glass bottle that still holds a few drops of viscous red liquid.

A page torn from a hymnal book dedicated to a god of war.

A clay tablet with indecipherable symbols.

A padlock that any key can open.

A bundle of crumpled papers, each having a partially completed love poem on them. Most of the words are scribbled out and are illegible, but the intended recipient appears to be a woman by the name of Neurelia.

The skull of a bird with an iron nail driven through it.

A crude wooden mask featuring a head crest of branches. The entirety of the mask is scorched wood and it smells like charcoal.

A beaten crate filled with rotted children’s clothing and old toys.

An alligator skull that reeks of sulfur and bog water. The druidic rune for “Preserve” is carved into the forehead.

A stone statue of a goblin, paper-thin and hollow. If the statue is broken, goblin bones tumble out.

A rusty dagger with a blade that is wildly unsuited for any sort of cutting whatsoever. Dangling from the pommel-nut is a leather thong strung with teeth and walnut shells.

A latticed or deformed stone that's possibly a meteorite

A malformed doll with a strange leer that wears a sackcloth dress.

A stitched up bear composed of multiple parts from different teddy bears.

A lady’s brush, elegantly carved of ivory with boar bristle. The ivory is stained and cracked, and many of the bristles are missing.

A hefty book full of notes written by many authors and inserted pages from other books. There are bite marks and slashes on the covers and some dirt might slip from between the pages when shaken.

A wizard's spellbook that was enchanted to repel liquids. Unfortunately, the enchantment is so strong that the pages cannot be written on rendering it completely unusable.

A reasonably shiny pebble.

A plank of wood whose knots and grain, crudely (At best) depict a lesser known deity of Random Domain.

A corroded metal cylinder bearing forbidden writing. The runic script bears little coherence, appearing like mad ramblings about the things beyond.

A set of brass lockpicks that couldn't possibly fit into any known style of lock.

A sheaf of poorly rendered sketches made by children.

A torn flag of an ancient city long since fallen into ruin.

A dissected and flayed corpse of a tiny fey creature.

A syringe with a squared-off crystal barrel. The plunger, flange, and needle hardware are nickel alloy ornately etched in twining, serpentine coils. Though it has no needle, and the plunger no longer seals, it is finely made, given its age.

A rotting quarterstaff made of oak wood. The staff has grips wrapped in slimy brown ape skin.

An old pair of trousers that are almost entirely made of patches and stitches, having been kept in service long past their time.

A crooked rod of dark wood with a possum skull lashed to the top.

An antique sword, rusted to its mildewy scabbard.

A length of heavy rusty chain, entangled in an impossible knot.

A thick waxy candle the colour of sickly pallid skin. When burned, the smoky odor of roasting ghoulflesh fills the room, ideal for setting the mood for foul necromantic rituals, preparing volunteers for human sacrifice, and all manner of depraved acts involving corpses.

A large bird's nest that has human finger bones woven into it.

A thick shirt of coarse brown horsehair.

A small leather pouch containing a double handful of seemingly fresh tree nuts, still in their shells.

An ugly gray wine skin, heavier than it looks, sloshes and gurgles in response to any movement.

A large, cast pewter vial containing a quantity of strangely textured sand. It clumps and sticks in a single doughy mass.

A piece of parchment bearing an unusual symbol drawn in iridescent green ink.

A long and tangled piece of twine with tiny brass bells knotted into it every few feet.

A dingy, brown leather collar with a sea serpent branded along its length is stuck on a jagged piece of splintered wood.

An intricate and spiky ball of cat and rat whiskers.

A heavy shot glass with a cat's face carved into the bottom.

A copper coin with a small hole drilled at the top and attached to a long length of fishing line.

A small, stained sack with a crudely painted figure of a halfling on the side. Opening the sack releases an odour that invokes tears and gagging to those nearby. The sack itself contains a number of crude items designed to disguise a goblin as a halfling. Laying the kit’s inventory out on the ground, you assess its value as a tool for subterfuge and determine a figure of zero. The wig leaves an odor of wet dog on your hands. The goblin disguise kit contains the following items: a chopped and damp wig made from worg fur, flesh-toned paste that burns when applied, a set of incomprehensibly disgusting false teeth, a canvas tunic with a poorly painted “shirt front,” and a pair of greasy gloves.